PITTSBURGH -- Ahead of what could be their most challenging -- and consequential -- homestand of 2025, the Reds will have to hope they've found their offensive footing again during Sunday afternoon's 14-8 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.
Cincinnati needed almost every one of those runs to stave off Pittsburgh, which put together 16 hits plus five walks in relentless comeback efforts. It had manager Terry Francona feeling uneasy while standing next to bench coach Brad Mills.
“At one point, I looked at Millsy and I said, ‘I feel like I’ve been in the dentist’s chair all day.’ He looked at me and goes, ‘Well, I’m in the room over,’” Francona said. “That was painful at times, but there is something to be said for keep playing. There was a lot of things that didn’t go right, but there was more than did go.”
Taking back-to-back victories from the Pirates allowed the Reds to split the four-game series.
Meanwhile, the Mets (63-55) lost their seventh consecutive game during a walk-off defeat at Milwaukee to bring the Reds (62-57) within 1 1/2 games for the final National League Wild Card spot.
“We’re right in the middle of it, which is all you can ask this time of the year. We’ve got to take care of business on our end and keep winning ballgames," said first baseman Spencer Steer, who went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including a critical two-run home run in the eighth inning.
Based on opponents' winning percentage, the Reds have the toughest remaining schedule (.532) in Major League Baseball as they battle to make the playoffs. Beginning on Monday, they will play a six-game homestead against two first-place clubs in the Phillies (68-49) and the Brewers (73-44).
“We’ve got to play good to beat them," Steer said. "We’ve got to play complete. We’ve got to play clean in all phases of the game to beat the teams coming in. Hopefully, we can do that.”
Before heading home, the Reds had their hands full with the last-place Pirates throughout the series. They were 1-for-20 with runners in scoring position over the first three games of the series while scoring five runs – without a homer.
On Sunday, Reds hitters cleared the fences three times.
Cincinnati opened a 4-0 lead with a four-run third inning that featured Miguel Andujar's first home run with the Reds -- a three-run drive to the left-field seats.
Cincinnati starter Zack Littell couldn't protect the lead as Pittsburgh scored three runs in the fourth inning and tied the game in the fifth. Littell was taken out after 4 2/3 innings after being charged with four runs on nine hits.
The Reds built a new lead with three more runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Noelvi Marte hit a ground-rule double to left field that scored Elly De La Cruz. Andujar and Marte came home on Steer's double to right-center field.
In the seventh inning with one out, Reds reliever Luis Mey walked three straight batters -- including pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen on four pitches with the bases loaded.
“Every time we thought we spread it out, we didn’t," Francona said. "But we kept playing. Nobody pouted. Nobody felt sorry for themselves.”
Steer's two-run homer to left field in the top of the eighth inning provided a four-run cushion.
“Today felt like one of those games where you couldn’t get a big enough lead," Steer said.
Sure enough, the Pirates scored three times in the bottom half on Graham Ashcraft, including a pair of unearned runs that came home on second baseman Matt McLain's throwing error to make it a one-run game.
A booming three-run homer by Marte to straightaway center field came during a five-run top of the ninth for an expanded lead that finally proved to be enough.
"It was an offensive competition today between both teams," Marte said via interpreter Tomas Vera. "It was like, ‘You hit me, I hit you.’ We kept going. Thank God we ended up with the win.”
The victory completed a 4-3 road trip through Chicago and Pittsburgh, not counting a loss to Atlanta in last Sunday's Speedway Classic in Tennessee.
Before Sunday, the Reds were averaging four runs per game in the second half while having an MLB-worst .349 slugging percentage. That will need to improve for the stretch run.
“It’s that time of year where every game seems like it’s magnified a little more," Steer said. "We’ve just got to find a way to play consistently good baseball. Hoping that these last two games can help us do that.”